A.
Scott Gilliam, Manager of the Indiana State Department of Health’s
Food Protection Program has announced publication of the agency’s
guidelines for producers of maple syrup in Indiana.

According to Gilliam,
the guidelines, issued June 28, 2006, have two important functions.
The document provides regulatory information for Indiana’s maple
syrup producers who sell their syrup in the retail market and the guidelines
will assist local health departments in the inspection of these operations.

The guidelines are
the result of a 3-year process that began when officials from the Indiana
State Department of Health’s Food Protection Program attended
the Indiana Maple Syrup Association’s 2003 annual meeting to familiarize
themselves with the Hoosier maple industry. They also consulted with
departments of health in other maple producing states to learn how they
approached food safety and maple syrup.

In the spring of
2005 the State Department of Health assembled a task force of some 30
representatives from government, academia and producers of seasonal
and value added products in Indiana. Members of the task force included
producers or association representatives of products such as maple syrup,
honey, wine, freezer beef, pork producers, and fresh vegetables.

Members of the
task force were asked to become familiar with the existing statutes
related to food safety and comment on the impact that current statutory
requirements have on their respective enterprises. They were then asked
to suggest ways to produce their value added food and meet legal requirements
for food safety.

Art Harris and Larry
Yoder represented the Indiana Maple Syrup Association with the assistance
of association board member Lowell Williams.

The IMSA representatives
identified the significant food safety issues in maple syrup production,
they evaluated how strict application of the present statutes would
impact the maple industry, and they suggested ways for maple producers
to meet the statutes, assure food safety, and remain economically viable.

Representatives
of other value added foods did the same for their products.

State officials
then drafted guidelines for the respective products and invited members
of the task force to respond.
The final guidelines reflect the requirements of the law and the suggestions
from industry representatives.

“I believe
that the guidance document will serve producers and inspectors very
well,” commented IMSA task force representative Larry Yoder. “It
[the document] identifies ways in which maple producers can realistically
meet the law's requirements and make a safe, locally produced food available
to Hoosiers. Further, it gives guidance to inspectors who must interpret
regulations in an environment unique to maple syrup production.”

Not all maple syrup
makers totally agree with this assessment.

Art Harris, another
member of the task force, remains concerned that wording in selected
places may still lead some inspectors to question procedures or facilities
common in maple syrup production.

“We’ll
have a better handle on how Indiana’s inspections go after a season
or two,” Harris observed. “I hope that good communication
continues so we can readily deal with any problems that may turn up.”

However, according
to Scott Gilliam, the state health department’s intent is to provide
guidelines that will enable the producer and inspector to work cooperatively.

“In Indiana,
it was not a matter of maple syrup just now coming under regulation
as a result of new legislation,” Gilliam noted.
“Maple syrup production is a food processing activity as defined
by the Indiana code. It falls into a group known as “value-added”
products, and that has been the case for some time.”

“It’s
just that since maple syrup is a low risk food, it has not been a high
priority for inspection,” Gilliam continued.

Many maple producers
feared that strict interpretation and enforcement of the current law
would put them out of business if their seasonal, low risk operations
were required to comply with the usual retail food regulations. Ironically,
that would have occurred just as state government has begun to encourage
entrepreneurial Hoosier agriculture.

“In the long
term view, the guidelines may very well help maple syrup production
in Indiana,” Yoder noted.
“Regulatory uncertainty probably limits the enthusiasm of a business
person or entrepreneur more than anything else.”

Indiana’s
development of guidelines for inspection has been marked by good cooperation
between maple producers and the state Department of Health. This has
not always been the case in other maple producing states where regulators
and producers have sometimes found themselves in an adversarial relationship.

Shirley K. Vargas,
Wholesale Supervisor for the state’s food protection program,
reminds Indiana maple syrup makers that the guidelines are for smaller
producers engaged in retail sales only. Larger producers who sell maple
syrup wholesale whether in state or out of state, must meet the sanitation
requirements for wholesale food establishments. Likewise, the guidelines
are intended only for the processing of maple syrup and not other related
products such as maple cream, maple sugar or candy.

Discussions about
the new guidelines and how small producers can comply with the regulations
will be a part of the program when the Indiana Maple Syrup Association
holds its annual meeting on December 2 in Rockville.

Information about
the meeting and membership in the Indiana Maple Syrup Association is
available elsewhere on this IMSA’s
web site.